Ji-Yung starts walking faster once he leaves the building, hoping to avoid any of his classmates who are wandering in last minute. He wasn’t feeling class right now, and decided to skip it. Luckily he only had the one today, and it was a review session. He already knew the subject matter before coming into the class, but the school made him take it anyway. Besides, missing one more class won’t hurt. He makes his way to the dorm side of campus and leaves through the exit furthest from his home. He takes a few steps off campus, breathes in the fresh, open air, and starts his wandering journey.
Every time Ji-Yung leaves campus early, he does it through a different exit to keep his wandering interesting. After about half an hour of mindless walking, he ended up in Gyeonji-dong, standing at the bottom of the New Jogyesa Temple. He glances up the stairs to see an old Japanese man walking down. The man seems to be struggling to get down the stairs, reaching for a railing that’s no longer there. Ji-Yung sighs to himself and starts ascending the stairs to meet him.
“Hey, you want some help?”
The man looks at him with bright eyes. “Why, yes, if you don’t mind.” Ji-Yung holds out his hand and the man takes hold of it, carefully stepping down the stairway. “Thank you, my legs aren’t quite what they used to be.” The man turns to Ji-Yung and looks him up and down. “I am Daisuke Hanamura. What’s your name?”
“Ji-Yung.” He responds quickly and with a disinterested tone that seems to go over the man’s head.
“Ah, Ji-Yung. A fine name. Do you worship here often?”
“Nope. I’m just wandering.”
“Wandering, huh? Ah, that reminds me of when I would wander the streets of Tokyo in my prime.” He stops walking and looks at Ji-Yung. “But when I wandered, I was happy with life. I had just met the love of my life, and we had made plans to come here and leave Japan. My wandering was the product of joy.” A sadness reflects in his eyes. “For some reason, I feel you’re discontent. It’s not wandering if you’re looking for something.”
Ji-Yung groans and rolls his eyes. “I didn’t come here to be lectured, old man.”
Daisuke sighs and continues down the steps. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
He remains silent for the rest of the way down, focusing more on getting to the base of the temple than on Ji-Yung. When they reach the last step, he lets go of Ji-Yung’s arm and takes the last step on his own. “Well, I’ll be going. Thank you for your help.” The man starts walking away, but stops and turns back to Ji-Yung. “I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.” With that, he faces forward and keeps walking, not looking back a second time.
Ji-Yung stands on the last step for a while, thinking about what the man said. He pulls out his AR comm and dials for his friend, Eun-Ha. She answers and Ji-Yung smiles at the sight of her slightly annoyed face as it projects up from the comm. “Eun-Ha, you’re not gonna believe-”
“Hey, I can’t really talk right now. I’ve got a big test I need to study for next week. I’ll talk to you later?”
Ji-Yung dejectedly replies, “Uh, yeah, no problem.”
She ends the call, and the projection recedes back into the comm. Ji-Yung puts it back into his pocket and sits down at the base of the temple stairs. “What am I looking for?” He waits for a few minutes more, occasionally glancing in the direction the old man went, before finally standing up. “Well, I won’t figure it out here.” He stretches, and continues his walk, following Daisuke’s path.
Every time Ji-Yung leaves campus early, he does it through a different exit to keep his wandering interesting. After about half an hour of mindless walking, he ended up in Gyeonji-dong, standing at the bottom of the New Jogyesa Temple. He glances up the stairs to see an old Japanese man walking down. The man seems to be struggling to get down the stairs, reaching for a railing that’s no longer there. Ji-Yung sighs to himself and starts ascending the stairs to meet him.
“Hey, you want some help?”
The man looks at him with bright eyes. “Why, yes, if you don’t mind.” Ji-Yung holds out his hand and the man takes hold of it, carefully stepping down the stairway. “Thank you, my legs aren’t quite what they used to be.” The man turns to Ji-Yung and looks him up and down. “I am Daisuke Hanamura. What’s your name?”
“Ji-Yung.” He responds quickly and with a disinterested tone that seems to go over the man’s head.
“Ah, Ji-Yung. A fine name. Do you worship here often?”
“Nope. I’m just wandering.”
“Wandering, huh? Ah, that reminds me of when I would wander the streets of Tokyo in my prime.” He stops walking and looks at Ji-Yung. “But when I wandered, I was happy with life. I had just met the love of my life, and we had made plans to come here and leave Japan. My wandering was the product of joy.” A sadness reflects in his eyes. “For some reason, I feel you’re discontent. It’s not wandering if you’re looking for something.”
Ji-Yung groans and rolls his eyes. “I didn’t come here to be lectured, old man.”
Daisuke sighs and continues down the steps. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
He remains silent for the rest of the way down, focusing more on getting to the base of the temple than on Ji-Yung. When they reach the last step, he lets go of Ji-Yung’s arm and takes the last step on his own. “Well, I’ll be going. Thank you for your help.” The man starts walking away, but stops and turns back to Ji-Yung. “I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.” With that, he faces forward and keeps walking, not looking back a second time.
Ji-Yung stands on the last step for a while, thinking about what the man said. He pulls out his AR comm and dials for his friend, Eun-Ha. She answers and Ji-Yung smiles at the sight of her slightly annoyed face as it projects up from the comm. “Eun-Ha, you’re not gonna believe-”
“Hey, I can’t really talk right now. I’ve got a big test I need to study for next week. I’ll talk to you later?”
Ji-Yung dejectedly replies, “Uh, yeah, no problem.”
She ends the call, and the projection recedes back into the comm. Ji-Yung puts it back into his pocket and sits down at the base of the temple stairs. “What am I looking for?” He waits for a few minutes more, occasionally glancing in the direction the old man went, before finally standing up. “Well, I won’t figure it out here.” He stretches, and continues his walk, following Daisuke’s path.